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How to cover a notebook with fabric

Submitted by Anjie Davison on Thu, 07/31/2008 - 10:35.
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Fabric covered notebooks
Plain note book. If your note book has a shiny finnish take a piece of sand paper and gently rub over surface, to take off the shine, this helps the glue to adhere.
Choose your fabric. It should not be too thick (it will be too bulky at the corners) or too thin (the glue will show through)
Measure the amount of fabric you need. Place your book, opened out, on your chosen fabric and allow an extra 25mm (1") all round. Cut out.
Cut out two pieces of paper. They should be about 5mm (3/16 th") smaller, on all sides, than the books cover. Put aside for later.
With a brush (not your best) spread PVA glue evenly on to the book cover, not too thick or it will show through fabric.
Fold over fabric onto glued cover. Press fabric onto the book.
Put glue onto the spine and the back of the book.
Press down fabric, paying particular attention to the spine. Make sure the fabric is like a second skin!
Open up your book and make two snips at the spine. repeat this at the other end of the spine.
Make a second cut at an angle taking off a small triangle of material.
Glue and stick down corners
Press down corners
Glue and fold over edge.
Glue and fold over top edge
Three sides glued down.
Spread glue on to the craft paper. Make sure it is completely covered. Although not shown it is easier if you lay the craft paper on a sheet of kitchen towel before you apply the glue. The kitchen towel will absorb any extra glue.
Position the glued paper carefully. This end paper will cover the three folded edges, it makes it look neat. Press down with a piece of cut up plastic bag, make sure you pay particular attention to the corners, press them hard.
Paper on cover
Place the plastic between the cover and the pages, this stops glue getting onto the pages. Repeat the last three steps for the back of the book.
Neaten the end of the spine. Open and pull back the book covers, this opens up the spine. Cut a little of the fabric off and glue it.
Now with a pair of scissors, poke the fabric down the spine being very careful not to get glue on the pages of the book. Repeat the last two steps at the other end of the spine.
Let the book dry. After about 30 minutes open the book to let the inside dry, alternate between the front and back covers.

This can turn an ordinary inexpensive notebook into a special gift. Your choice of fabric will depend on who the recipient will be and what they might use it for. You can cover diaries, address books, gardening or cookery notebooks. Only a small amount of fabric is needed for this project. It would be ideal to use a Fat Quarter, although relatively expensive, you can get a myriad of interesting designs. I can imagine a book covered in Kath Kidson fabric would look very nice. Even recycle a piece of  clothing. The pleasure is in the choosing. For the tutorial I used an original 1950's print, I  only have about a meter of this precious fabric, so not enough to make much, but I can cover quite a few books with it.

For this project you will need:

Notebook, fabric, craft paper (sugar paper), PVA glue, brush for glue, cut up plastic bag (this is to divide and protect the pages from glue, while the inside covers dry), kitchen towel and a piece of fine sandpaper (only needed if your book has a shiny cover)

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